According to the UK’s NICE (National institute of Clinical Excellence) people who are diagnosed with a chronic physical health problem such as diabetes are 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression than people without it.

People with diabetes who are also suffering from depression are at greater risk of suffering from an episode of ‘diabetic burnout’ – a state of disillusionment and frustration around their disease and a consequent disregard for their blood sugar levels, which can seriously threaten their health.

Past research suggests that vitamin D supplementation has been shown to help improve both type-2 diabetes and some forms of depression, independent of one another. However, until now, there has been no data looking at women, who are statistically more likely to experience depression, and whether vitamin D could help.

In a recent study funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), and published in the Journal of Diabetes Research, scientists tried to determine whether vitamin D supplementation could improve mental health status among women with type-2 diabetes.

Quick summary

» Those suffering from diabetes type-2 may be more prone to depression, especially if they are women.

» Supplementing with vitamin D has been shown to help both type-2 diabetes and depression.

» In this study women with type-2 diabetes, who also had been diagnosed with depression, were given large weekly doses of vitamin D2.

A total of 50 women with type-2 diabetes and symptoms of depression were included in the study. All received weekly high-dose supplementation of 50,000 IU vitamin D2 per week for a total of 6 months (a dose that he been studied previously in obese individuals). Vitamin D2 is the form found in plant-based foods, as opposed to D3 which is found in meat and fish and which is synthesised by the body in the presence of sunlight.

The researchers used several standard tools to evaluate the participants’ mental and physical health status. Among their findings were:

Compliance with the study was high; a total of 92% attended all of the required visits for the study.

Blood levels of vitamin D (25(OH)D) increased significantly; from an average of 19 ng/ml (47.5 nmol/l) at the beginning, to 34.29 ng/ml (85.73 nmol/l) after 3 months and 37.6 ng/ml (94 nmol/l)

The participants experienced a significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as mental health status.

Even after adjusting for several variables, including participants’ weight, their race and the season, the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and depression remained significant. Though not statistically significant, those who were not taking mood stabilising medications also experienced an improved response from vitamin D supplementation.

More data needed

The researcher’s chose to supplement the participants with large weekly doses of vitamin D2 instead of daily doses of D3, which has been proven to be more efficient in raising and maintaining healthy vitamin D levels. While the supplement regimen did increase blood levels of vitamin D, even after 6 months participants levels were still not within optimal range (40-60 ng/ml). Nevertheless the researchers believe that this initial research is promising.

It would be interesting to see the same study repeated with vitamin D3 and in particular see if those not on mood stabilising drugs had a bigger response, and indeed the researchers say they are already planning this as their next study. Watch this space.

The study, by researchers with the University of Colorado Boulder and University of Haifa, also found that the more empathy a comforting partner feels for a partner in pain, the more their brainwaves, breathing and heart rates fall into sync. And the more those brain waves sync, the more the pain goes away.

“We have developed a lot of ways to communicate in the modern world and we have fewer physical interactions,” said lead author Pavel Goldstein, a postdoctoral pain researcher in the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab at CU Boulder. “This paper illustrates the power and importance of human touch.”

The small study, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), is the latest in a growing body of research exploring a phenomenon known as “interpersonal synchronisation,” in which people physiologically mirror the people they are with.

Quick summary

» A new study has found that holding the hand of a loved one in pain could significantly reduce their level of pain.

» Researchers found that as couples held hands their brainwaves, breathing and heart rate fall into sync; the more in sync they become the greater the pain reduction.

» In addition, the more empathetic a man was to his partner’s pain more the couple’s brain activity synced.

It is the first to look at brain wave synchronisation in the context of pain, and offers new insight into the role brain-to-brain coupling may play in touch-induced analgesia, or healing touch.

Goldstein came up with the experiment after, during the delivery of his daughter, he discovered that when he held his wife’s hand, it eased her pain.

“I wanted to test it out in the lab: Can one really decrease pain with touch, and if so, how?”

Getting in sync

He and his colleagues at University of Haifa recruited 22 heterosexual couples, age 23 to 32 who had been together for at least one year and put them through several two-minute scenarios including sitting together not touching; sitting together holding hands; and sitting in separate rooms. During these scenarios electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measured their brainwave activity. Researchers then repeated the scenarios as the woman was subjected to mild heat pain on her arm.

Merely being in each other’s presence, with or without touch, was associated with some brain wave synchronicity in the alpha mu band, a wavelength associated with focused attention. If they held hands while she was in pain, the coupling increased the most.

Researchers also found that when she was in pain and he couldn’t touch her, the coupling of their brain waves diminished. This matched the findings from a previously published paper from the same experiment which found that heart rate and respiratory synchronisation disappeared when the male study participant couldn’t hold her hand to ease her pain.

Subsequent tests of the male partner’s level of empathy revealed that the more empathetic he was to her pain the more their brain activity synced. The more synchronised their brains, the more her pain subsided.

How exactly could coupling of brain activity with an empathetic partner kill pain?

More studies are needed to find out, said Goldstein. But he and his co-authors offer a few possible explanations. Empathetic touch can make a person feel understood, which research shows could activate pain-killing reward mechanisms in the brain.

“Interpersonal touch may blur the borders between self and other,” the researchers wrote.

The study did not explore whether the same effect would occur with same-sex couples, or what happens in other kinds of relationships. The takeaway for now, says Goldstein: Don’t underestimate the power of human touch.

“You may express empathy for a partner’s pain, but without touch it may not be fully communicated,” he said.

]]>https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/mind-body/2018/03/holding-hands-can-help-ease-pain/feed/0Natural Health NewsHolding the hand of someone you love who is in pain can help reduce their suffering. [Photo: Bigstock]Added ingredients make pesticide formulations more toxichttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/testing/2018/03/added-ingredients-make-pesticide-formulations-more-toxic/
https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/testing/2018/03/added-ingredients-make-pesticide-formulations-more-toxic/#respondTue, 13 Mar 2018 16:09:57 +0000NYR Natural Newshttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/?p=27186Natural Health News — New regulations are needed to protect people and the environment from toxic pesticide ingredients that are not currently subject to safety assessments.

This is the conclusion of the first comprehensive review of gaps in risk assessments for “adjuvants” – ingredients added to pesticide formulations to enhance the function or application of the active ingredient. Ignoring the potential dangers of other ingredients in commonly used commercial pesticides leads to inaccuracies in the safety profile of the pesticide solution, as well as confusion in scientific literature on pesticide effects, finds the review published in Frontiers in Public Health.

“Exposure to environmental levels of some of these adjuvant mixtures can affect non-target organisms – and even can cause chronic human disease,” says Dr Robin Mesnage from King’s College London, who co-wrote the review with Dr Michael Antoniou. “Despite this, adjuvants are not currently subject to an acceptable daily intake and are not included in the health risk assessment of dietary exposures to pesticide residues.”

Quick summary

» Based on a review of current pesticide literature, UK scientists say “adjuvants” – ingredients added to pesticide formulations to enhance the function or application of the active ingredient – can make pesticides much more toxic.

» This applies to commercial agricultural pesticide as well as those used in homes and gardens.

» New regulations are needed to protect people and the environment from toxic pesticide ingredients that are not currently subject to safety assessments.

Pesticides are a mixture of chemicals made up of an active ingredient – the substance that kills or repels a pest – along with a mixture of other ingredients that help with the application or function of the active ingredient. These other ingredients are known as adjuvants, and include dyes, anti-foaming agents and surfactants.

Inadequate testing

Regulatory tests for pesticide safety are currently only done on the active ingredient, which assumes the other ingredients have no effects. This means the full toxicity of a pesticide formulation – including those used in both agriculture and domestic gardens – is not known.

“Currently, the health risk assessment of pesticides in the European Union and in the United States focuses almost exclusively on the active ingredient,” explains Dr Mesnage. “Despite the known toxicity of adjuvants, they are regulated differently from active principles, with their toxic effects being generally ignored.”

Based on a review of current pesticide literature, the authors describe how unregulated chemicals present in commercial formulations of pesticides could provide a missing link between pesticide exposure and observed negative outcomes.

Formulations more toxic than the active ingredient alone

The researchers focused on glyphosate-based herbicides, the most used pesticide worldwide. They point out that this weed killer has so many different adjuvant formulations that a safety test of one weed killer does not test the safety of another.

“Studies comparing the toxicity of commercial weed-killer formulations to that of glyphosate alone have shown that several formulations are up to 1,000 times more toxic than glyphosate on human cells. We believe that the adjuvants are responsible for this additional toxic effect,” says Dr Mesnage.

The authors also looked at neonicotinoid insecticides – strongly suspected to be involved in the collapsing of bee colonies – as another example of adjuvant toxicity affecting non-target organisms. An adjuvant used in these insecticides to increase the penetration of the active ingredient has been shown to cause varying toxic effects in bees. On top of this, residues of the toxin have also been found in honey, pollen and beeswax produced by contaminated bees.

The need for precaution

In some investigations into chemical toxicity, the additive effect described in this study is known as the ‘cocktail effect’ – where combinations of chemicals can become more toxic than the sum of each individual chemical in the mix.

The authors hope their review will stimulate discussion on the toxicity of commonly used pesticides and encourage more thorough regulations.

“Testing of whole pesticide formulations instead of just active ingredients alone would create a precautionary approach, ensuring that the guidance value for the pesticide is valid for the worst-case exposure scenario,” says Dr Mesnage.

Their findings have already had a considerable impact. The European Food Safety Authority is now reassessing the validity of pesticide risk assessment in the EU, and authors hope that this reassessment can extend to entire commercial formulations of pesticides and their other ingredients.

In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine reveal a potential new role for some bacteria on the skin: protecting against cancer.

“We have identified a strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis, common on healthy human skin, that exerts a selective ability to inhibit the growth of some cancers,” said Richard Gallo, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “This unique strain of skin bacteria produces a chemical that kills several types of cancer cells but does not appear to be toxic to normal cells.”

Blocking tumour development

Quick summary

» A strain of the bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis, common on healthy human skin, could help protect against UV induced skin cancer.

» This S. epidermis strain produces a chemical, 6-N-hydroxyaminopurine (6-HAP) which limits both tumour development and its spread.

» While the bacteria is commonly found on human skin, it’s not found on everyone. According to the scientists only about 20% of us is likely to have a strain which produces 6-HAP.

» More research is needed to understand why this strain is not universal, and how it might be harnessed to protect more widely against skin cancer.

Using an animal model the team discovered the S. epidermidis strain produces the chemical compound 6-N-hydroxyaminopurine (6-HAP). Mice with an S. epidermidis strain on their skin that did not make 6-HAP had many skin tumours after being exposed to ultraviolet rays (UV), but mice with the S. epidermidis strain producing 6-HAP did not.

In addition to its potential to suppress development of UV-induced skin tumours, 6-HAP also impairs the creation of DNA, known as DNA synthesis, and prevents the spread of transformed tumour cells.

For instance, the animals that received intravenous injections of 6-HAP every 48 hours over a two-week period experienced no apparent toxic effects, but when transplanted with melanoma cells, their tumour size was suppressed by more than 50% compared to controls.

A layer of protection

“There is increasing evidence that the skin microbiome is an important element of human health. In fact, we previously reported that some bacteria on our skin produce antimicrobial peptides that defend against pathogenic bacteria such as, Staph aureus,” said Gallo.

In the case of S. epidermidis, it appears to also be adding a layer of protection against some forms of cancer, said Gallo. Further studies are needed to understand how 6-HAP is produced, if it can be used for prevention of cancer or if loss of 6-HAP increases cancer risk, said Gallo.

While Staphylococcus epidermidis is commonly found on human skin, the team say about 20% of the healthy population is likely to have a strain which produces 6-HAP. “Our study found that it is common, but not on everyone,” said Gallo.

A global, personal, ecological issue

Globally, one in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer and currently, between 2 and 3 million non-melanoma skin cancers and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers – typically caused by overexposure to the sun’s UV rays – are diagnosed each year. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer that starts in the pigment-producing skin cells, called melanocytes.

Increasing levels of skin cancer are a lifestyle issue – for instance, with people not taking sun safety seriously. According to the World Health Organization, sunbed use is estimated to be responsible for more than 450 000 non-melanoma skin cancer cases and more than 10 000 melanoma cases each year in the United States of America, Europe and Australia combined.

But skin cancer rate can rise due to ecological problems as well. As ozone levels are depleted, the atmosphere loses more and more of its protective filter function and more solar UV radiation reaches the Earth’s surface. It is estimated that a 10 per cent decrease in ozone levels will result in an additional 300,000 non-melanoma and 4,500 melanoma skin cancer cases each year.

The current study shows that skin has an innate ability to protect us from skin cancer – the questions left open are why don’t more of us have this strain on our skin and what might interferes with growth of beneficial strains of S. epidermidis. We know that harsh and/or antibacterial soaps and body washes, as well as antiperspirants, affect skin flora – but their specific effect on S. epidermis and other beneficial skin bacteria is poorly researched. The type of clothing we wear (for instance whether it is breathable or coated with anti-stain, antibacterial chemicals) may have an effect as will our use and exposure to antibiotics.

Too often we focus on ‘beauty’ – fewer wrinkles, fewer spots, etc – when it comes to skin health. A better understanding of how the skin’s natural microbiome interacts with its environment may be a better route to truly healthier skin.

]]>https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/cancer-2/2018/03/skins-natural-bacteria-protects-against-cancer/feed/0Natural Health NewsNaturally occurring bacteria on the skin, could help protect against skin cancer. [Image: Bigstock]Depressed people may be low in argininehttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/nutrition-2/2018/03/depressed-people-may-be-low-in-arginine/
https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/nutrition-2/2018/03/depressed-people-may-be-low-in-arginine/#respondTue, 06 Mar 2018 10:50:05 +0000NYR Natural Newshttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/?p=27138Natural Health News — People suffering from major depressive disorder have reduced arginine levels, according to a new study from Finland.

Arginine is an amino acid which the body uses to produce nitric oxide which, among other things supports a healthy vascular and nervous system.

The study carried out by the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital compared 99 adults with diagnosed major depressive disorder to 253 non-depressed individuals. The concentrations of three amino acids, namely arginine, citrulline and ornithine, were analysed from their fasting glucose samples, and this data was used to calculate their global arginine bioavailability ratio (GABR) – an indicator of the body’s arginine levels.

Quick summary

» A new study has found that those with major depressive disorder may be low in the amino acid arginine.

» Results of the study suggest that, in depressed individuals, arginine may be less bioavailable; this may be because of the way that depression-induced inflammatory responses can interfere with absorption.

» It is not yet clear if supplementation can help, but arginine is widely available in both animal and plant foods.

The study also analysed whether these concentrations changed in people with depression during a follow-up of eight months, and whether remission of depression had an effect on the concentrations.

A role for inflammation?

People with depression had weaker arginine bioavailability than their non-depressed counterparts. The use of anti-depressants or anti-psychotics did not affect the concentrations, either. There were also no clear differences in the concentrations measured from people who had recovered from depression and people who remained depressed.

Toni Ali-Sisto, the lead author of the study, comments: “It is possible that depression-induced inflammatory responses lead to reduced arginine levels. This may result in insufficient production of nitric oxide for the needs of the nervous system and circulation. However, we don’t know yet what exactly causes reduced arginine bioavailability in people with depression,”

Although the results showed that people with depression have reduced arginine bioavailability, the researchers say this doesn’t mean that taking an arginine supplement would protect against depression. “That’s an area for further research,” Ali-Sisto says

About arginine

Arginine is considered a semi-essential amino acid because while it is needed for children’s growth, it has long been considered nonessential for healthy adults. The body can also make arginine in addition to getting it from food sources, so deficiencies are generally considered rare. However, a person can become deficient in arginine if the body’s production does not meet the body’s requirements or if, as this study suggests, something is interfering with the body’s ability to absorb it.

Adequate arginine can aid the production of nitric oxide, which widens and relaxes arteries and blood vessels, improving blood flow, help heal injuries, aid the kidneys in removing waste and boost immune system function.

Arginine can be taken as a supplement but too much can have side effects such as upset stomach and diarrhoea. Larger doses may also carry risks for people who take other medications or have certain health conditions.

A varied diet should help ensure you get adequate arginine and the best food sources of arginine are:

Natural Health News — New research has shown that a natural alkaloid extracted from daffodils activates anti-tumour pathways in the body.

It’s too soon to say whether daffodils could cure cancer, but the study from the Faculty of Sciences at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium, offers some intriguing possibilities for how yet another cure from nature could help fight the disease.

Published recently in the journal Structure, the researchers reveal how they extracted a natural anti-cancer compound from daffodils (Amaryllidaceae narcissus).

Quick summary

» Belgian researchers have discovered that daffodils contain a potent alkaloid that could help fight cancer.

» Haemanthamine (HAE) activates anti-tumour pathways in the body that are responsible for slowing the growth of cancer cells.

» More study is needed but the researchers note that HAE belongs to the same family as other plant-derived alkaloids including morphine, a potent pain killer, as well as quinine, used against malaria and ephedrine, used in the treatment of asthma.

Amaryllidaceae plants are among the 20 “most widely considered medicinal plant families”, due to their pharmacologically active compounds, say the researchers.

They established that this compound, an alkaloid named haemanthamine (HAE), binds to what is called the ribosome. Ribosomes are ‘nanomachines’ essential to the survival of our cells because they synthesise all our proteins. To sustain their unrestrained growth, cancer cells rely on increased protein synthesis: they are therefore particularly sensitive to treatments that inhibit the production and the function of ribosomes.

Their study goes some way into the mechanism by which a daffodil extract might work to slow cancer. It shows that haemanthamine blocks the production of protein by ribosomes, thus slowing growth of cancer cells. Haemanthamine also inhibits the production of these nanomachines in the nucleolus – the body’s “ribosome factory”. This in turn triggers the activation of an anti-tumour surveillance pathway leading to the stabilisation of the protein p53 and to the elimination of cancer cells.

Plant power

This study provides for the first time a molecular explanation to the anti-tumour activity of daffodils used for centuries in folk medicine.

Writing more about Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, the study authors note that the biological activities of extracts from this family are not restricted to anticancer effects. Morphine, a potent pain killer, as well as quinine (which is used against malaria) and ephedrine (used in the treatment of asthma) are all part of the same family as HAE.

In a near future, the Belgian researchers hope to test the effect on ribosome production and function of four more Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, representative of the chemical diversity of these molecules. Their goal will be to identify rapidly the most promising chemical backbone to be further developed as a lead compound in cancer therapeutics.

]]>https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/herbal-remedies/2018/03/daffodil-extract-could-help-fight-cancer/feed/0Natural Health NewsDaffodils contain the alkaloid hemanthamine (HAE) which has a strong physiological - and possibly anti-cancer - effect in humans. [Photo: Bigstock]Put your away phone to make meals more enjoyablehttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/behaviour/2018/03/put-your-away-phone-to-make-meals-more-enjoyable/
https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/behaviour/2018/03/put-your-away-phone-to-make-meals-more-enjoyable/#respondThu, 01 Mar 2018 15:55:25 +0000NYR Natural Newshttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/?p=27116Natural Health News — Smartphones might make people feel more connected, but they likely don’t belong at the dinner table, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.

Researchers looking at the effect of smartphones on face-to-face social interactions found that people who used their devices while out for dinner with friends and family enjoyed themselves less than those who did not.

“As useful as smartphones can be, our findings confirm what many of us likely already suspected,” said Ryan Dwyer, the study’s lead author and PhD student in the department of psychology.

“When we use our phones while we are spending time with people we care about – apart from offending them – we enjoy the experience less than we would if we put our devices away.”

Quick summary

» A study of people eating with friends and family tried to measure the emotional impact of having your phone out at the dinner table.

» With their phones out participants felt more distracted and enjoyed spending time with their friends and family less.

» An important finding of happiness research is that face-to-face interactions are important for our day-to-day wellbeing, say the researchers.

Distracted and disconnected

For the study, the researchers asked more than 300 people to go to dinner with friends and family at a restaurant. Participants were randomly assigned to either keep their phones on the table or to put their phones away during the meal. After the meal, they were asked a variety of questions, including how much they enjoyed the experience.

The researchers were careful to ensure participants were unaware they were being monitored for their smartphone use.

When phones were present, participants felt more distracted, which reduced how much they enjoyed spending time with their friends and family (about half a point less on a seven-point scale), the researchers found.

Participants also reported feeling slightly more boredom during the meal when their smartphones were present, which the researchers described as surprising.

“We had predicted that people would be less bored when they had access to their smartphones, because they could entertain themselves if there was a lull in the conversation,” said Dwyer.

Real connection makes us happy

The findings were not only limited to restaurant settings.

In a second study involving more than 100 people, participants were sent a survey to their smartphones five times a day for a week that asked how they had been feeling and what they had been doing for the past 15 minutes.

The researchers saw the same pattern, with participants reporting they enjoyed their in-person social interactions less if they had been using their phones.

Elizabeth Dunn, the study’s senior author and professor in the department of psychology, said the findings add a layer to the ongoing debate over the effects of smartphones on public health.

“An important finding of happiness research is that face-to-face interactions are incredibly important for our day-to-day wellbeing,” said Dunn. “This study tells us that, if you really need your phone, it’s not going to kill you to use it. But there is a real and detectable benefit from putting your phone away when you’re spending time with friends and family.”

]]>https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/behaviour/2018/03/put-your-away-phone-to-make-meals-more-enjoyable/feed/0Natural Health NewsWith their phones out peoplefelt more distracted, and and less satisfied by spending time with their friends and family. [Photo: Bigstock]People can taste pesticides in wine, study showshttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/food/2018/02/people-can-taste-pesticides-in-wine-study-shows/
https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/food/2018/02/people-can-taste-pesticides-in-wine-study-shows/#respondMon, 26 Feb 2018 11:47:10 +0000NYR Natural Newshttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/?p=27106Natural Health News — Humans can identify pesticides by taste, a new experiment has found.

The researchers believe that the experiment is the first in which the tastes of 11 pesticides present in wines were detected by taste.

The study published in Food & Nutrition Journal, involved 195 blind tests carried out by 36 professionals from the wine and culinary industries. The wines were produced in France and Italy.

Researchers , conducted by Professor Gilles-Eric Séralini and the chef Jérôme Douzelet examined 16 pairs of organic and non-organic wines produced in seven French regions and one Italian region. The same varieties of grapes were grown both organically and conventionally (with agrochemicals) on the same soils in neighbouring vineyards, in the same climate and in the same year.

Quick summary

» A blind test of both organic and non-organic French wines, has shown that humans can identify pesticides by taste.

» Professionals from the wine and culinary industries were able to correctly identify the contaminated wines – and in water – 85% of the time

» To their knowledge, say the researchers, this experiment is the first to show that humans can identify pesticides by taste, a skill which they say can be learned.

The resulting wines were tested for over 250 pesticides. Out of the organic wines, only one bottle was found to contain traces of pesticides. In the non-organic wines, in contrast, 89% contained detectable pesticides, some at very high levels – mostly fungicides and glyphosate-based herbicides.

The 195 blinded taste tests were then carried out with 71 different people on different days. Among the people who detected the pesticides, 57% were then able to identify the exact wine containing them. Organic wines were preferred 77% of the time.

The pesticides identified included boscalid, cyprodinil, dimethomorph, fenhexamide, folpet and its metabolite phtalimid, glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA, iprodione, iprovalicarb, and pyrimethanil. The 3 most frequently identified pesticides were folpet, fenhexamide, and iprovalicarb.

“An impaired sense of taste”

The pesticides alone or in mixtures were also diluted in water at the levels present in the wines. At least one pesticide mixture was identified as such because it was judged to taste different from water in blind tests: this held true in 85% of cases in which answers were offered by the professionals (147), and 58% recognised all of the waters that contained the pesticides.

The professionals were asked to describe the taste of the pesticides that they were able to identify as being present. The taste of glyphosate, a herbicide often used in vineyards, was described as “strong dryness, acid, acrid, limestone”. The glyphosate-based formulation Roundup was described as tasting of “putrefied wood, drying, bitterness”.

The most common descriptions of the taste of pesticides in general were a “drying” effect and “papilla blockade”, with the latter description being used by the researchers to describe an impaired sense of taste.

The researchers state in their paper that their tests show that people can learn to recognize the tastes of pesticides in drinks and possibly foods. They conclude that “there is no scientific reason why this is not feasible”

They added that, “A larger study could also be envisaged, not only to confirm the presence and distribution of pesticides in foods and beverages, but also to progress from this primary test of feeling to sensory tests on a wider range of pesticides and a larger number of volunteers.”

]]>https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/food/2018/02/people-can-taste-pesticides-in-wine-study-shows/feed/0Natural Health NewsA blind test of both organic and non-organic French wines, has shown that humans can identify pesticides by taste and that this skill can be learned. [Photo: Bigstock]Vitamin E could protect against gallstoneshttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/vitamins-2/2018/02/vitamin-e-could-protect-against-gallstones/
https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/vitamins-2/2018/02/vitamin-e-could-protect-against-gallstones/#respondTue, 20 Feb 2018 18:26:59 +0000NYR Natural Newshttps://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/?p=27093Natural Health News — Raising your intake of vitamin E may be linked to a lower risk of gallstone disease, according to new research data.

Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that form in the gallbladder. The most common type is composed mainly of undissolved cholesterol. Although they can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball, people may live with gallstones for years without experiencing any symptoms.

The most common symptoms are intensifying pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen or in the centre of your abdomen, just below your breastbone, pain between your shoulder blades or in your right shoulder and nausea and vomiting.

In this study, led by researchers from the University of Kiel, in Germany, 582 people (average age 62) had lower blood levels of alpha-tocopherol than those who did not have gallstones.

What you need to know

» Previous research has also found reduced vitamin E absorption in people with gallstones; but it isn’t clear if the poor absorption or the gallstones come first.

» In a new study scientists measures blood levels of both alpha-and gamma-tocopherol in older individuals with gallstones disease.

» Those with the highest levels of alpha-tocopherol were nearly 70% less likely to develop gallstones.

Double checking the measurements

The scientists took blood samples from the subjects, from which total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and two different forms of vitamin E (alpha- and gamma-tocopherol) were measured.

Vitamin E isn’t just a single nutrient but in fact is a family or complex of 10 fat-soluble compounds (in much the same way as the B-complex family). The ten forms of vitamin E are divided into two groups; five are tocopherols and five are tocotrienols. Both types are usually differentiated with prefixes like include alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-.

Writing in the journal Nutrients, they note that that those with the highest blood level of alpha tocopherol had around 70% less risk of developing gallstones. A similar association was found with gamma-tocopherol levels. However, with the gamma form, the results were not as powerful.

In individuals with impaired flow of bile from the liver to the duodenum vitamin E status may be more accurately established by measuring the ratio of alpha-tocopherol to cholesterol in the blood. Here too, those with gallstone disease also had a lower ratio of alpha-tocopherol to cholesterol in the blood – but again the effect was less pronounced with gamma-tocopherol.

Lowering oxidative stress

According to the scientists, oxidative stress and free radicals are thought to play a role in gall bladder disease development. Thus, higher vitamin E might help protect against oxidative stress, reducing the risk of gallstones, hypothesised the scientists.

Previous research has also found reduced vitamin E absorption in people with gallstones, and that the disturbance of bile secretion in gallbladder disease is associated with fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies.

Many of us do not get enough vitamin E in our daily diets. There are not many large studies looking at vitamin E supplementation as a preventative for gallstones and according to senior researcher Professor Wolfgang Lieb, it still needs to be established “if, and to what, extent dietary vitamin E supplementation may prevent gallstone formation​.”

High blood pressure is a major cardiovascular disease risk factor that affects about one billion people worldwide but may also be a major cause of cardiovascular health problems. Higher dairy consumption has been associated with beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease-related illnesses such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance.

The current analyses, in the American Journal of Hypertension, participants included over 55,000 women (ages 30-55) with high blood pressure from the Nurses’ Health Study and 18,000 men (ages 40-75) who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

What you need to know

» High blood pressure, which affects about a billion people worldwide, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

» Regular consumption of dairy products has been shown to help lower high blood pressure.

» In this long-term study, those consuming more than two servings a week of yogurt had an approximately 20% lower risks of major coronary heart disease or stroke.

30 years of data

Participants’ diets were assessed with questionnaires and followed for around 30 years to see who experienced heart attack, stroke, and revascularization.

Higher intakes of yogurt were associated with a 30% reduction in risk of myocardial infarction among the Nurses’ Health Study women and a 19% reduction in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study men.

In women, it was also associated with a 16% lower risk of undergoing revascularization.

In both groups, participants consuming more than two servings a week of yogurt had an approximately 20% lower risks of major coronary heart disease or stroke during the follow-up period. When revascularization was added to the total cardiovascular disease outcome variable, the risk estimates were reduced for both men and women, but remained significant.

Higher yogurt intake in combination with an overall heart-healthy diet was associated with greater reductions in cardiovascular disease risk among hypertensive men and women.

According to one of the paper’s authors, Justin Buendia. “Our results provide important new evidence that yogurt may benefit heart health alone or as a consistent part of a diet rich in fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

]]>https://www.naturalhealthnews.uk/diet-2/2018/02/add-yoghurt-to-reduce-heart-disease-risk/feed/0BigstockMore than two servings a week of yogurt had an approximately 20% lower risks of major coronary heart disease or stroke. [Photo: Bigstock]